History of Feminism
Related: About this forumHow I Unwittingly Infiltrated the Boy’s Club & Why It’s Time for a New Wave of Atheism
Its been five years now since I first became involved with the atheist and skeptic movements. And for most of those five years, I felt like I belonged. When I started the Society of Non-Theists at Purdue University, I was relieved to know I wasnt the only atheist on my campus. So when I realized there was an even greater national movement, I was elated to become a part of it. I had finally found people who shared my passion and values. I was welcomed with open arms.
Until I started talking about feminism.
You see, my previous atheist activism wasnt sullied by the f-word. People applauded me for starting an atheist group on a conservative college campus. For blogging about our events and getting local media attention. For volunteering as a board member of the Secular Student Alliance. And most of all, for creating Boobquake.
Ive always considered myself a feminist, but I used to be one of those teenagers who assumed the awesome ladies before me had solved everything. But Boobquake made me wake up. What I originally envisioned as an empowering event about supporting womens freedoms and calling out dangerous superstitious thinking devolved into Show us your tits! I received sexual invitations from strangers around the country. When I appeared or spoke at atheist events, there was always a flood of comments about my chest and appearance. Ive been repeatedly told I can never speak out against people objectifying or sexually harassing me because a joke about my boobs was eternal consent.
So I started speaking up about dirty issues like feminism and diversity and social justice because I thought messages like please stop sexually harassing me would be simple for skeptics and rationalists. But I was naive. Like clockwork, every post on feminism devolved into hundreds of comments accusing me being a man-hating, castrating, humorless, ugly, overreacting harpy. Despite the crap I received, I continued to publicly support these movements and stress that the haters were just a tiny minority. I thought this flood of sexism I had never experienced before was just a consequence of me growing up and heading out into the real world, and had nothing to do with these movements in particular. I cant count how many times I publicly stressed that the atheist/skeptical movement, while not perfect, is still a safer place for women and other minorities.
But now I recognize that I was trying to convince myself that this is true.
...
Much more at the link.
Though this piece is about feminism and egalitarianism within skeptic and atheist communities, the experiences she relates are the same kinds of experiences that so many women face once they notice the kinds of sexist things that still aren't widely recognized used as such and dare to talk about them.
seabeyond
(110,159 posts)and as she says
devolving to Show us your tits! and the men on du insisting how empowering it was for ALL us women. and getting world wide coverage all about the boobs.
i love this piece. i am so glad that the brick hit her upside the head to see what the result was. as long as the male population remains the immature little kid with boobs, (just like "owning" certain sexist slurs) this will not be empowering because men will make sure to reduce women to boobs and everything they say is irrelevant.
if this is finally a clear message why this does not work for our younger generations, but mere entertainment for men, yea.
redqueen
(115,103 posts)who blamed earthquakes on sexuality and sexual behavior.
She didn't expect to see the Beavis and Butthead response, surely intelligent skeptics wouldn't react that way!
It's a tough lesson, but I'm glad she's not backing down despite the attacks, and that this seems to be creating even more awareness, and more desire for progress.
seabeyond
(110,159 posts)but... articulating her progression and speaking out. for me, that is HUGE and well worth it. much more productive than us people that knew the inevitable results who would be ignored and argued. i really am thrilled that she has the courage to acknowledge the results and even more thrilled it pisses her off and she is a voice.
gonna go read the whole of it.
thanks for finding this.
i have told the story of the boobquake and what they thought they accomplished, yet explain the reality. this is a good ending to the story when talking to young girls.
gollygee
(22,336 posts)when you feel like you're in a group of like-minded people who have the same values as you, and therefore you assume they're all pro-feminist, but then you fall into a discussion where it's obvious you were wrong.
I assume skeptical people are progressive, and I assume progressive people are pro-feminist. But really, those are both assumptions.
redqueen
(115,103 posts)But given how misogynist society is, it's easy to see the flaw in that assumption.
ismnotwasm
(41,989 posts)"Changing a movement seems like a mighty task (especially when you lack a witty name the Newer Atheists doesnt have a great ring to it). But the reason Im not throwing my hands up in the air and screaming I quit is because were already winning. Its an uphill battle, for sure in case youve forgotten, scroll up and reread this post. But change is coming. Some national organizations accepted anti-harassment policies with no fuss at all. A lot of local or student groups are fabulous when it comes to issues of diversity and social justice. A number of prominent male leaders have begun speaking out against this surge of hate directed at women. Im working with others to hopefully start an atheist/skeptical organization specifically focused on issues of equality. And although the response from the haters is getting louder and viler, theyre now vastly outnumbered by supportive comments (which wasnt always true). This surge of hate is nothing more than the last gasp of a faction that has reached its end."
I'm glad to see her so hopeful and strong; I find it richly ironic that a Skeptics/atheist society wouldn't have a clue about the roots of misogyny found in organized religion, instead simply proceeds to use the very tools and concepts about women misogynists have been using throughout history.
seabeyond
(110,159 posts)issue. it is across the board. it is a male issue, not a political party issue. the people on du really really want to make it all about the rw. it is not. we see it here daily.
second.... this is interesting. we hear people promoting this garbage repeatedly state it is just eh old nag, 2nd wavers that are dying out. that is like the repug argument that denies the reality. i am seeing more and more of our young women waking up. the 3rd wave, sex positive, lipstick feminism had its day. and like this woman and the boobquake, too many women are seeing that is not the answer.
i had always state, what does it say a woman reduces herself to flash boobs to get out message instead of using her voice and brain. we are talking being taken seriously, being heard, effecting policy and changing thought pattern. any half reasonable person can see the difference between flashing boobs, and using brain. it really is a no brainer.
i think that it has escalated so, that there may be more than just hope. i hope.
redqueen
(115,103 posts)by women when they come to this realization.
I was just talking yesterday about how in just about every revolution for freedom and equality, or maybe every single one, after the fighting, women are still subjugated, still the sex class, etc. It's so easy to blame religion, but a glance at history shows that not to be the case. Religion is just a convenient scapegoat for misogyny. As we see so clearly demonstrated, it's there whether religion is around to blame for it or not.
ismnotwasm
(41,989 posts)Although to be fair, religious scholars were trained in classic thought. Heavy weights like Plato and Aristotle didn't seem to think much of women either.
If I feel like being pissed off, I just search for 'quotes on women by religious figures' or 'major philosophers'
It would be nice to find a moment in time where it started, but up to a certain point in most cultures, the further back you go, the more you find. So I don't blame religion per se, religion seems to be part of the human condition. (although personally I am apparently psychologically not capable of religious feeling, I don't discount those who are) Misogyny, on the other hand, is a human disease.